Winner of the Japan Mystery Writers Association Award!
Shinjuku Shark
By Arimasa Osawa
Translated by Andrew Clare
Fiction / Crime / Hardboiled
Paperback, 288 pages, 5.5 x 8.25 inches
978-1-932234-37-4 / 1-932234-37-3
U.S.$14.95 / CAN$16.95
In the seedy Shinjuku district of Tokyo, Detective Samejima silently stalks his prey. To the yakuza gangsters he is the “shark” for his relentless pursuit of justice regardless of the cost. To his superiors, he is a thorn not to be pulled; his dismissal could unleash secrets capable of tearing down the force. None will be his partner, a risky proposition made more dangerous by their rough turf.
But now there’s a serial killer on the streets, and he’s hunting police officers. While the force will lose not only more men but its face if the spree continues, the use of a mysterious firearm stymies the investigation. Samejima is forced to choose between keeping to his maverick ways and working with HQ.
Filled with non-stop action, palpable tension and gritty characters, Shinjuku Shark, the first installment of Japan’s bestselling ongoing series, will sink its teeth into you from the start. Prepare for a relentless journey of suspenseful twists and turns that will leave you breathless.
Arimasa Osawa has received the Eiji Yoshikawa New Writer Award, the Japan Myster Writers Association Award, and the Naoki Prize for his Shinjuku Shark novels. Many of his other hardboiled works have also been awarded prizes and adapted to the screen.
PRAISE FOR SHINJUKU SHARK
“…Samejima’s compelling struggle to find the truth and the startling revelation of the killer’s motive will leave most readers eager for the next book in the series to become available.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Japanese screenwriter and novelist Osawa might find good company with television writers/producers like David Milch (NYPD Blue) or Barry Levinson (Homicide: Life on the Streets) for his depictions on television and in print of hard-hitting action and gritty police life. His popular detective series, now available in English, gives hard-boiled fans and police drama enthusiasts what they are hungry for.”
—Library Journal
“Shinjuku Shark uses said mean streets as the backdrop for the equally gritty story of Detective Samejima, the ‘shark’ of the title, with the gangsters of Shinjuku as his prey. The series has sold like crazy in Japan and inspired a screen adaptation, and it’s not hard to see why—its pavement-level fascination with the grimy criminal underworld of Japan comes through on every page like weeds shoving through concrete.”
—thegline.com
“…The tension builds steadily. Throw in a red herring, a couple of ‘OMG, is he gonna make it?’ moments, and a race against time, and you get a very satisfying read […] Overall this is an engaging book that will be enjoyed by mystery fans in general and police procedural fans in particular.”
—MangaCast
“Looking for a terse page-turner about a hard-boiled detective on the trail of a psychotic cop-killer? With plenty of tough guys, druggies, sleazy cross-dressers, rock musicians and other various low-lifes lurking in the crevices of a glitzy red-light district? Then Inspector Takashi Samejima—the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s answer to Sam Spade and “Dirty Harry” Callahan—is your man.”
—The Japan Times
